Process of and apparatus for sprinkling roads.



4 H. M. NICHOLS.

PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR SPRINKLING ROADS.

0 APPLICATION FILED MAY I3, 191]. LJLWYQWYD Patented Apr. 27, 1915. v

2 SHEETSSHEET l- INVENTOR WITNESSES A ATTORNEY JAM/6L Mic 4 H. M. NICHOLS.

PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR SPRINKLING ROADS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 13. 1911.

l ?1? ?o Patented Apr. 27, 1915 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

/ ATTORNEY a i rt.

HOWARID MI. NICHOTAS, 0F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGN'OR T0 THE'ATLAN- TIC REFINING COMPANY, OF FHILADEIJE 1: 1 a PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

rnoonssor AND APPARATUS For. srrunmlivs ROADS.

maaow.

To all whom it may concern:

'Be it known that T, HOWARD M. NICHOLS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have in; vented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes of and Apparatus for Sprinkling Roads, of which the following is a specification. g

- This invention relates more particularly to the sprinkling of roads with .the viscous liquids of an oily nature known as roadloils, in order toefiect a more permanent (or) less temporary) laying of dust than results from sprinkling the roads with water. These road oils vary greatly in composition. Crude petroleum and undistilled residues of petroleum have been employed; also-emulsions of such crude oils or residueswith water and emulsifying agents, and other compositions are known.

The invention also extends in part to the sprinkling of. roads with liquids (as water itself or saline solutions, for example) which are not of said oily and viscous nature.

' Each of the improvements composing the invention is intended to be secured for all the uses towhich it may with r without modification be adapted. *1.

In the drawings: Figure l is aside elevation of a road sprinkling apparatus in accordance with the invention and in the form of a wheeled vehicle; Fig. 2 is a rearend elevation of the same; Figs. 3 and 4: are side elevations on an enlarged scale of forms of nozzles embodying important features of the invention; and Flgs. 5 and 6 are longitudinal sectional views of the respective nozzles shown in Figs. 3 and 4. Figs. 7 and 8 are views of said nozzles in longitudinal section in planes at right angles to those of Figs. 5 V

receptacle is shown in the form of a cylin drical tank having a portion of the cylinder cut away at the front end to form a recess or reentrant portion for the drivers seat D, as

will be understood from Fig. 1,'the walls of the tank being suitably arranged to follow the outline of'said recess. The receptacle C Specification of Letters ratent.

with pipe H the rear by the manifold M.

Patented Apr. 2?, fdllfi,

Application filed may 13, 1911. Serial No. 626,957.

is pr ovided with a manhole or like filling opening indlcated at 0 and having anysuitable closure device.

vThe vehicle body A extends to the rear beyond the tank G and upon this extension is mounted an internal combustion engine E and a rotary pump F, the engine and pump which tank is mounted on the vehicle body atone side of the receptacle C. Suitable pipes g extend from the water jacket of the eng ne to the tank G for circulation of'the water by the aid of customary pumping means (not shown).

The watertank G is provided with a vent pipe 9 in the form of a goose-neck whose outer end is open to the atmosphere. This pipe serves for the escape'of any air or water vapor, thus avoiding pressure on the insidle of the water tank. At Gr, Fig. 2, is shown a fuel tank, for asolene or the like,

from which the engine 1s supplied.

From the bottom of the tank C a pipe H extends downward to a T connection H which is provided with a plug at its lower end whereby the pipe H may be cleaned at any time by the removal of said plug. From the T H a pipe H extends to the rear of the vehicle, where it is provided with a hand valve H arranged to be coupled to a suction pipe 'or hose, not shown, when it is desired to fill the tank by pumping from an outside source of supply. In said pipe are fittings H, H and H for branch pipes H, H and H respectively; and there is a hand valve H intermediate the fittings H and H".

The suction of the pump F is connected The pump discharges through pipe K; with which the branch pipe H is connected at the top and the branch pipe H at the bottom. The pipe H leads to a manifoldor distributing pipe M (Fig. 2) extending transversely of the vehicle and supported by hangers M.

At S is a step for an attendant workman to stand upon; so that he can attend'to the rmachinery while the vehicle is moving. The step S is uphellsl in front by hanger s and in The branch pipe H is provided with a relief valve K. In order to indicate the pressure in the discharge pipe K, a suitable gage is provided as indicated at K. The relief valve is of the usual adjustable type so as to be set at the desired pressure.

I When this is exceeded, the relief valve will I a suitable connection is made between the valve H and such source of supply, as, for example, by connecting a suction'hose to the I valve. The hand.valve H is then closed to l cut off the connection between the suction i so pipe H? of the pump and the tank C. Also, the hand valve L is opened to establish a connection between'the discharge pipe K of the pump and the pipe H at the bottom of the tank by .way of the pipes H H The nozzles of the manifold pipe M are shut off, as more. fully explained hereinafter, and the engine. may then be started to operate the pump. The liquid is then drawn by the pump through the suction hose (not shown), the open valve H, the rear part of pipe H and the suction pipe H and is discharged thl'0ll% the pipe K, front parts of branchpipe open valve L front part of pipe 8 and pipe H into the tank C.

When the tank C has beensupplied with liquid, the valve H is closed. Thereupon, the valve HLmay be opened and the valve L closed, thus putting the apparatus in condition for sprinkling. It will be noted that the relief valve K? and by-pass H permit this change to be made without stopping theengine, even though the nozzles on manifold M should beclosed. This is not only of importance as avoiding the dangers of high pressure which might result in bursting some of the pipes or connections if'the valves were not manipulated in the right order, but is of considerable importance in connection with an internal combustlon engine, since itallows the same to run under a constant load and thus permits a proper timing of the spark, with consequent greater efliciency.

The manifold or distributing pipe M is connected to two sets of nozzles arranged in parallel rows transverse of the vehicle at the rear'of the same, the respective nozzles in one row alternating with respect to the nozzles of the other row. This arrangement allows the jets from the nozzles of different rows when of a laterally spreading character to overlap in the direction of '0 and .connected by a link 0 'rod a The connectedly operated. stoptoward the middle of the vehicle.

travel. By shutting off the supply of liquid to the nozzles of one row, the road could still be fairly well (or even completely) covered by the discharges from the nozzles .of the other row.

In the construction illustrated each of the a hand valve 71; and a stop-cock n.

The hand valves n and n form operable means for controlling the flow of liquid independently to the nozzles. The stop-cocks 11. n, on the contrary, are connected by evers n with a rod n advantageously placed between the rows of nozzles and actuated by ahand lever or manipulator O; which latter is fulcrumed at with cocks enable theflow of the liquid onto the roadway to be applied and discontinued at the same instant across the roadway; so far as the hand valves may be open; and, as these hand valves are independently operable, the flow from any desired nozzles can be stopped or regulated.

The nozzles employed are advantageously of a kind to deliver each a spreading jet; and they are arranged for the spreading to take place (in large part at-least) transversely of the line-of travel; so that each nozzle distributes its liquid over a comparatively wide strip; and' the outer nozzle at each side of the vehicle is advantageously arranged to deliver its jet with the axis thereof inclined, as shown in Fig. 2, inward The advantage of this disposition is that the liquid can be more definitely confined to the strip which it is desired to sprinkle; since the outer edge of each outer jet being thus more nearly vertical than it would be were the jets' axis vertical or inclined outwardly reaches the ground after a shorter travel fromthenozzle and is less apt to be defiected (as by the wind, for example). The nozzle is best arranged for the outer edge of its jet to be strictly or at leastsubstantially vertical, as shown. The intermediate nozzles are best arranged to deliver jets with their axes in vertical planes parallel with the line of travel of the vehicle; and the jets in each row would 'best be in a vertical plane transverse of said line of travel, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2; but other arrangements are not excluded. f

The nozzles shown are of akind to deliver each its jet in the form of a fan-shaped sheet which remains unbroken for-some distance from the nozzle. As is known, such a sheet is of decreasing thickness as it recedes from the nozzle. If it is not interrupted, it eventually breaks up into a spray. It is ad; vantageous that this breaking up should not occur far above the ground; as in that case the drops composing the spray are apt to be blown about and not land as desired. The breaking up point of each fan-shaped sheet should not be nearer the nozzle thanhalf the distance between the latter and the ground (and it is better not to be so near thereto). It might even strike the ground in its unbroken condition; but in that case the liquid would not be so widely distributed. It is considered best for the nozzles to be about a foot or so from the ground at their lower ends and for the breaking up of the fan-shaped sheets to occur within two or three inches of the ground. The ressure under which the liquid is supplie to the nozzles and other conditions would be adjusted to this object. The nozzles shown are also of a kind to deliver the liquid through orifices Whose corresponding dimension is at least double (and preferably more than double) the thickness of the jet issuing in sheet form therefrom; each jet being made thin by the delivery of the issuing liquidin opposing currents, which are deflected and confined in order to form the jet. By use of this style of nozzle, the need of filteringjthe liquid is lessened or obviated, as the nozzle orifices can be made large enough (say a sixteenth of an inch, or preferably more) to allow the passage of particles likely to exist in road oils. Each nozzle may have a clear opening of an eighth of an inch, or even more, in all. directions and yet deliver a jet which is less than one eighth of an inch thick just beyond the lower end of the nozzle, where it may have a width say of twelve inches more or less. When it breaks into drops the jet is greater in width and correspondingly thinner.

Each of the nozzles (Figs. 3 to 6) has a passage 7) with parallel sides p brought closer together than the remaining walls 10 so as to give said passage the general form of an elongated parallelogram in cross section; and this passage is closed at g on each side of the jet orifice r; which extends a short distance up one or both sides of the passage p. It is consideredbest for theolosures q of the passage p to becurved in two directions like the outer surface of a ring of circular cross section. The parallel sides of said passage p are thus joined by surfaces (to wit, the inner surfaces of the closures g) which are deflected outwardly (as seen in Figs. 5 and 6) in planes transverse to the flow of the fluid. The closures g. turn the margins of the stream in passage p toward each other'betweenthe parallel sides of said passage in planes parallel with said sides The passage 3) merges with the cylindrical portion 19 of the nozzle. The top of each nozzle is screw threaded interiorly for engaging a pipe nipple between itself and one a of the stop-cocks n a. .Each nozzleis best made from a hollow cylinder closed at one end by a hemisphere. The cylinder for an appropriate distance from and including the closed end is flattened as in Figs. 5 and 6; and the end is then notched to form the jet orifice 1". Should it be desired for the axis of the" issuing fan-shaped jet to coincide with the nozzle axis, the notch for the jet orifice is cut square across, as in Fig. 5; but if it is desired for the jet axis to be inclined, the notch 'is cut more on one side than on the other, as in Fig. 6. Nozzles of this latter form are designed to be placed at the sides of the vehicle (extreme right and left hand nozzles of Fig. 2). 0n the vehicle the nozzles are arranged with the longer horizontal dimensions of passages 37 in the line a of travel, the planes of Figs. 3 and 4: being parallel with that of Fig. 1 and the planes of Figs. 5 and 6 parallel with that of Fig. 2.

Thepressure developed by the pump F is adjusted to discharge the road oil from the nozzles in such manner that the fan-shaped jets remain continuous, as at T, until they are within say two or three inches, more or less, of the ground and that they then break up into separate drops or streams, as at T. According to my experience, information andbelief, usingnozzlesas shown withjet orifices ran eighth by an eighth of an inch (that is, the notch in Fig. 3 being an eighth of an inch wide and the walls of passage p in Fig. 5 being separatedby an eighth of an inch) located about 10 to 1d inches from the ground, superatmospheric pressure of from 7 to 20 pounds as indicated on the gage Kt (the valves in pipes leading thence to the nozzles l N being open to their full extent) would be required for difi'erent road oils, according to their respective viscosities,

the higher pressures being needed for the more viscous oils; but there may be road OllS which would require more pressure and some which would give the desired form of lllltl motorE as indicated by the jets themselves will be a sufficient criterion. The relief valve K can be set to open in case the normal pressure should be substantially exceeded. Road oil has been discharged onto the road at the rate of two gallons a minute through sevennozzles with jet orifices of the size mentioned (an average, that is, of of a gallon a minute). The amount per square foot of road would, of course, depend upon the speed of travel.

I claim as my invention or discovery:

v1. The process of producing a jet, by forcing fluid through a passage which has an elongated cross section and sides that lie 3 in parallel planes in the direction of such elongation, turning the margins of the flattened parallel sided stream so produced toward each other as oppositely flowing currents, and releasing the fluid at and for a distance on each side of the meeting. plane of said currents across the full width of the 'latter and for a short distance back from their outermost edges, substantially as described.

2. The process of producing a jet, by forcing fluid through a passage which has an elongated cross section and sides that lie in parallel planes in the direction of such elongation, turning the margins of the flattened parallel sided stream so produced toward each other as oppositely flowing currents, and releasing the fluid at and for a distance on each side of the meeting plane of said currents acrossthe full width of the latter and for 'a short distance back from their outermost edges at a jet orifice of approximately equal dimensions both longitudinally of and transversely rents, substantially as described.

with a passage therein adapted to onvey fluid under pressure and having an. elongated cross section and sides that lie in parallel planes in the-direction of such'elongation, (2) with means for-turning the-margins of the flattened parallel sided stream so "planes in the direction of such elongationf.

(2) with means for turning the margins o the flattened parallel sided stream so produced toward eachother as oppositely flowing currents, and (3) with a jet orifice of approximately equal dimensions both longitudlnally of and transversely t'osaid cur to said cur i withrentsopen at and for a distance on each side of the meeting plane of saidcurrents across the full width of the latter and for a short distance back of their outermost edges,

substantially as described.

at and for a distance on each side of the.

meeting'plane of said currents so as to produce a fan-shaped jet of the road oil or other liquid from a jet orifice whose corresponding dimension is great as compared with the thickness of said jet, substantially as described;

-6. The process of producing a road sprinkling or other sprinkling jet, by forcing road oil or other liquid through a passage which has an elongated cross section and sides that lie in parallel planes in the direction of such I elongation, turning the margins of the flat- 7. The process of producing a road sprinkling or other sprinkling jet, by forclng road oilor other liquid through a passage which has an elongated cross section and sides t at lie in parallel planes in the direction of such elongation, turning the margins of the flattened parallel sided stream so produced toward each other as oppositely flowing currents, and releasing the road oil or other liquid at an orifice of approximately equal dimensions both longitudinally of and transversely to said 0 pcsitely flowing currents located at and f dr a distance on each side of the meeting plane of said currents and extending fora short distance back of their outermost edges, the

pressure on said road oil or otherliquid suflicing to deliver it as a continuous fanshaped jet whose thickness at the end of the jet nozzle is less than half the corresponding dimension of said jet orifice, substantially as described.

8. The process of producing a road,

sprinkling or other sprinkling jet, by forc- 1ng road oil or other liquid through a sprinkler nozzle which delivers said road oil or other liquid as a continuous sheet of fan liquid under pressure to said jet producing means, and means for applying said fanshaped jets to the surface to be sprinkled, substantially as described. A 17. Apparatus for sprinkling a road 0 other surface with road oil or other liquid, which apparatus consists of jet nozzles and appliances for supplying the sprinkling liquid thereto under pressure, and the jet nozzles of which have each of them, a parallel sided passage therein, with means for turning the margins of said stream toward each other between the-parallel sides of said passage in planes parallel with said sides so as to bringportions ofsaidstream into contact with each other as oppositely flowing currents, and are arranged to confine the fluid on the side next the body of said passage and to release it on other sides, so that it may escape as a fan-shaped jet, substantially as described. j r

18. The process of sprinkling a road or other surface, by carrying over said surface fan-shaped jets of road oil or. other liquid which issue as continuous'sheets and are arranged across the line of travel with the jets spreading transversely to said line and which include at one end at least of the row of jets a fan-shaped jet whose axis is inclined inwarda't'fsuch an angle as to bring the outer edge of the jet into a vertical position, thus giving a better defined edge 'to' the area of sprinkling in View of the greater stability of said vertical edge as compared with one which is'inclined, substantially as described.

19. Apparatus adapted to be carried over a road or other surface and having sprinkler .nozzles which are arranged across such line of travel and operate to deliver road oil or other sprinkling liquid in fan-shaped jets that issue-as continuous sheets transverse to the line of travel and include a fan-shaped jet of such character at one end at least of the row of jets with its axis inclined inward at such an angle as to bring its outer edge into a vertical position, thus giving a better defined edge to the area of sprinkling in view of the greater stability of said vertical edge as compared with one which is inclined, substantially as described.

20. The'process of sprinkling a road or other surface, consisting in carrying over such surface fan-shaped jetspfroad oil or other liquid directed toward said surface,

"which jets issue in the form of continuous sheets under such pressure that said sheets remain unbroken for morethan half the distance between the jet orifices and said surface, substantially as described.

21. The process of sprinkling. a road or other surface, consisting in carrying over such surface fan-shaped jets of road oil or other liquid directed toward said surface,

which jets issue in the form of continuous sheets under such pressure that said sheets liquid is supplied thereto under suitable pressure, means for supporting said, nozzles in positions in which they are directed toward the surface to be sprinkled and are located in suitable proximity thereto and for carrying said nozzles over said surface, and means for supplying road oil or other liquid to said nozzles under pressure appropriate for prodiicing jets which remain in the form of unbroken sheets for more than half the distance between the jet orifices and said surface, substantially as described.

23. Apparatus for sprinkling a road or other surface with road oil or other liquid, consisting of jet nozzles of a kind to deliver fan-shaped jets which issue in the .form of continuous sheets when the road oil or other liquid is supplied thereto under suitable pressure, means for supporting said nozzles in positions in which they are directed toward the surface to be sprinkled and are located in suitable proximity thereto and for carrying said nozzles over said surface, and means for supplyin road oil or other liquid to said nozzles un er pressure appropriate for producing jets which remain in the form of unbroken sheets for more than half the distance between the jet orifices and said surface, but break into streams or drops before reaching said surface, substantially as described.

24. The process of sprinkling a road or other surface, consisting in discharging upon the road or other surface road oil or other liquid in the form of fan-shaped jets which issue as sheets from jet orifices whose dimension in the direction corresponding with the thickness of the issuing sheets is not less than twice such thickness immediately outside of the jet orifices, each sheet being formed by oppositely flowing currents and issuing in the meeting plane of said currents, substantially as described.

25. The process of sprinkling a road or other surface, consisting in discharging upon the road or other surface road oil or other liquid in the form of fan-shaped jets which issue as sheets from jet orifices which in the direction corresponding with the thickness of said sheets is not less than about a sixteenth of an inch across, each sheet being reduced in thickness at the end of the corresponding jet nozzle to less than half of such dunension' by the interference of opposing currents and issuing in the meeting plane of said currents, substantially as described.

26. The process of sprinkling a road or into contact with each other and escaping for each jet by an orifice whose dimension in the direction of flow of said currents approximates its dimension widthwise of said currents and is not less than about a sixteenth of an inch as a minimum, substantially as described.

27. Apparatus for sprinkling a road or other surfacewith road oil or other liquid, consisting ofjet nozzles of a kind to deliver fan-shaped jets which issue as sheets from the jet orifices of said nozzles, and are made thinner than the corresponding dimension of said orifices by the interference of opposing currents of the liquid that meet within the nozzles midway of the respective jet ori-, fices, means for supporting said nozzles in positions in which they are directed toward the surface to be sprinkled and are, located in suitable proximity thereto and for carrying said nozzles over said surface, and means for supplying road oil or other liquid to said nozzles under pressure appropriate for producing jets whose thickness immediately outside of said orifices is not more than half the corresponding dimension of the latter, the jet nozzles being adapted for pro duction of such jets when supplied with road oil or other liquid under appropriate pressure, substantially as described.

28. Apparatus for sprinkling a road or other surface With road oil or other liquid, consisting of jet nozzles of a kind to deliver fan-shaped jets which issue as sheets from the jet orifices of said nozzles, and ard made thinner than the corresponding dimension of said'orifices by the interference of opposing currents of the liquid that meet within the nozzles midway of the respective jet orifices, means for supporting said nozzles in positions in which they are directed toward the surface to be sprinkled and are located n suitable proximity thereto,and for carrying said nozzles over said surface, and-means for supplyingroad oil or other liquid to said nozzles under pressure appropriate for, producing jets whose thickness immediately outside of said orifices is not more than half the corresponding dimension of the latter, the jet nozzles being adapted for production of such jets when supplied with road oil or other liquid under appropriate pres sure, and havingjet orifices of not less'than about a sixteenth'of an inch across in the direction corresponding with the thickness nicating with of the issuing sheets, substantially as described.

.29. Apparatus for sprinkling a road or other surface with road oil or other liquid, consisting of means for discharging said liquid upon the surface to be sprinkled in the form of fan-shaped jets produced under pressure by currents of said liquid oppositely flowing into contact with eachother having two rows of jet nozzles, a stop-cock for each nozzle, a single manipulator for the stop-cocks of both rows, a reciprocating rod located in the space between said rows and mechanically connected with ,the stop-cocks of both rows, and .a mechanical connection between said manipulator and said rod for shifting the latter back and forth, substantially asdescribed.

31. Apparatus for sprinkling a road or other surface with road oil or other liquid, consisting of a supply tank, sprinkling ap-. pliances, a pump, pipe connections between the supply tank and the pump inlet, pipe connections between the pump outlet and said sprinkling appliances, a valved inlet and coupling appertaining tothe first mentioned pipe connections, means for closing at will the communication between the pump and said sprinkling appliances, a pipewith a stop valve th'erein communicating with the second mentioned pipe connections between the pump and said means and also commuthe first mentioned pipe connections, an additional pifie provided with a relief .valve therein an communicating with the second mentioned pipe connections between the pump and said means and with the first mentioned pipe connections, and a valve in the first mentioned pipe connections between the respective junctions of said pipe having a stop valve therein and said additional pipe therewith and also'between the pump and the junction of said pipe having a stop valve therein with the first mentioned pipe connections, substantially as described.

lit

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

nowann M. NICHOLS.

Witnesses: p

WILLIAM Downs Annnnson, E. Hnnnr. 

